Understanding Information Retrieval Systems

    39 Internet Filtering Software        and Its Effects

 

Lynn Sutton

CONTENTS

Introduction

Purpose of Internet Filters

Deciding Whether or Not to Filter

How Filters Work

Effectiveness of Internet Filters

Disabling Feature

Division in the Field of Librarianship

Prevalence of Filters in Libraries

Public Libraries

School Libraries

Effects of Filters on Users

The Digital Divide

Best Practices in Filtering

International Filtering

Conclusion

References

Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

Few issues in recent years have divided the library community as deeply as that of Internet filtering. Filtering is here defined as commercial computer software that limits, ...